Just Plain Vanilla
by Ailish Oriana
Summary: She was Sakura with a petite figure and eyes like green swirly mist. At first sight she was different; the vibrant pink of her hair stood out like a stigma. But next to them she was foreshadowed and forgotten.  ON HIATUS
1. Kakashi

Just Plain Vanilla.

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**PLEASE NOTE: ** I have not altered this chapter. Basically, all I did was rectify some of the typing errors that were really annoying me for some reason (including the spelling of *Sasuke*; thanks to _Destroyed Illusions_ for pointing that out.) Further, I just slightly changed the layout of the story, making it more presentable.

**WARNING: **Slight OOC. Well, maybe. :P Just thought I'll give you a heads up. =) Oh and excuse the clichéd first line. I couldn't help but put it in. Maybe later when I get a beta reader and rewrite this chapter again, I will replace it with something more insightful. But for now it's there, for ya'll to scowl over.

**DISCLAIMER: **Never will I own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would not have been cursed with brains the size of a nit.

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**I.**

People change.

Sometimes, they become the people you don't want them to. Even when you knew, had this nagging suspicion at the back of your mind that eventually, they will.

Sometimes though, they don't disappoint and they become the people you expect them to, because they carry with them a firm resolve.

And sometimes, they become the people you had no idea they will become. Not because you expected different, but because you never gave them much thought in the first place. These people, they surprise you—they morph and they transform, finally an anomaly; leaving you in awe of their potential.

**II.**

She was Sakura, with a petite figure and eyes like green swirly mist, an innocent smile tugging at the corners of her lips and a blush to her check with each glance she ventured at her crush. At first glance, she was different; the vibrant pink of her hair stood out like a stigma.

"_... What are your likes and dislikes?"_

"_What I like, I mean... who I like..."_

It didn't take long for me to figure out that she wasn't any different from other girls her age. She cared more about her outward appearance, and the desire to impress—through all the wrong ways—than to succeed in the ninja world.

The only reason she had gotten this far was through her brains. She was canny and diligent, but lacked perseverance and the ability to assess. She had several good qualities, but she was unfortunate.

Next to her teammates, she seemed vulgar, with no special trait that defined her, that made her any different from the other two. Next to them, she was forgettable, almost... invisible.

**III.**

In a group where she was the only girl, we were supposed to protect her. She never asked—of course not, she had more dignity than that—but somehow at the inner realms of her mind, she always expected us to.

Maybe it was because we let her be consoled by our mere presence and the subconscious will to protect, but she never stood up in defence. Never once, did she voice her opinion to be given a chance to prove herself.

Nobody likes to live in the shadows of others, especially when you have the ability to outwit that injustice.

But that's exactly what she did; to us male chauvinistic, she let herself be assumed vulnerable.

**IV.**

She was a quitter. Whereas her other teammates were persistent as hell—ready to fight to the death because to them, giving up was as bad as losing, maybe even worse—she would be the first one to admit defeat.

To be fair, maybe I was to blame. I was never tough on her, not really. Not like I was to them. I felt pity for her. The way she seemed to threaten to fall apart at the seams, every time she was burdened with a task too difficult for her. To me she was as fragile as cracked piece of glass.

So easy to break and impossible to put together again.

Every time Sasuke rejected her (for this was the one thing she never gave up on) her eyes will fill with a sense of loss so deep, I would reel over.

Shocked by the intensity of her emotions; the emotions that even Naruto's straightforward, pompous ways could not match.

I didn't realise that if she was tough enough to try again, to let herself hold on to the slippery fabric of hope, she didn't need the rope that was wrapped tightly around her.

A rope whose sole purpose was to pull her out of the circle that was _us, _the trio. That would ensure she was excluded when things got too difficult. That would ensure she was safe.

**V.**

She knew the rules. She could recite them in her sleep if she wanted to. Unlike several other genin she was adamant in following them too.

The first time I saw her break a rule, and not just a minor one, I was too disoriented too pay attention, it's not until now when I'm forced to muse over her, do I realise how hard it was her.

Maybe it wasn't just a crush. Maybe she was the first one to get a glimpse of what was underneath the grim façade, only to see him die, and so at _her _loss, she cried.

I wasn't surprised. She was weak; she didn't have the will strong enough to stop herself from breaking down. But if it was so wrong, I wonder, how then did Sasuke rise up again, as if from the dead?

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If you've managed to read this far, than I'm to assume this was readable material than just a load of blathering-excuse me—bullshit? By that reasoning, I'm also sane enough to assume that you will review as well? I mean, you made it this far, a few minutes for a review will definitely not take much more than 5 minutes (I'll get carried away and expect good, long reviews; constructive criticism will be cherished!) It's only logical. =)

Oh and for those of you who are wondering; this is not a one shot. And no, I will not tell you what's in store, enough reviews and I will put up the next chapter... soon-ish. Also, I will like to make it known, that even though this chapter contains a bit of Sakura-bashing, I do not in fact hate/dislike Sakura, not now anyway. :P I _did_ use to hate her, but that was before shippuden came along and she started kicking ass.

On a closing note, click on that periwinkle blue button & make Ailish a joyous girl. XD


	2. Naruto

**WARNING: **OOC. This time, I'm sure of it. I tried to avoid it, but it was inevitable. :( Moreover, this chapter—along with the following others—will contain spoilers till before the shippuden part.( I dunno how long this story is going to be, but if it gets a good enough response and requests—hopefully— I may just go on to let it continue into the shippuden arc.) For this reason, I think it's necessary that you know the storyline to understand the subtle references I will make in this fan fiction. Otherwise; you might find yourself confused on several accounts.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Naruto.

**A/N; **_Thanks to all the people who reviewed and/or favourited this story. You guys made my day. Honestly. :)_

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**_Naruto._**

**I.**

I can tell you that I expected this all along, that when nobody did, _I_ believed in her. That now I'm not blown away by the shocking turn of events.

But hell, I'll be lying.

Not to mention that I'll be the biggest bastard on Earth.

**II.**

I know what it is like to be invisible. She never so much as looked at me, if you don't count the rare moments when she darted her famous infuriating death glare in my direction.

Those moments, I would cringe away; I would plummet into an abyss that was filled with gloom and confusion.

I was handsome enough, what with my shocking lock of golden hair that only rarely bordered on the verge of a yellowish shade and mesmerising blue eyes, even if I do say so myself. But obviously that wasn't enough; Sakura like the rest of the girls in the Academy had eyes only for him.

I tell you this, because as I said, I know exactly how she felt when she was ignored.

I know also the reason. This feeling of donning an invisibility cloak develops because of two reasons.

Either it is because you are hiding in the shadows. You are enveloped completely by the sense of being lost and confused; Unsure of where you fit and belong.

Or there is just somebody else. Who is, in every aspect, simply better than you.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out my reason for the damned cloak.

With Sakura though, it was a completely different matter. With her, you were so jagged down in the details, so astonishingly hazy that not only did you not know who you were but also, you found others dismissing you, like you were a nobody.

**III.**

Like every single day of my life, Sasuke had gotten on my nerves.

But that day was different. This time, he was the one who wanted to fight, rather than the other way around.

That day, I was not looked down on.

That day, I was an equal.

But good things don't come easy; either you die for them, or you don't get them at all. And then, there is an exception for every rule.

I didn't die that day—even though the chidori was just a breath away—and yet I didn't get to prove myself as his equal, either.

_She _got in the way.

For the very first time in my life, I wanted to hurt her. Wanted to tear her from limb to limb; destroy something I reckon I couldn't live without. After all, I had the nine tail fox in me. I could do it in a matter of a heartbeat.

What stopped me than?

Instinct.

How can you kill somebody you have drilled your mind to protect? How can you let the overlapping barrier that that had been there since childhood—that forced you into a screeching halt every time she was near hurting—to crumble and fall?

You can't. Simple as that!

And so when she came between us, I was able to do the impossible.

My hand, it wavered. Even though it was charged with the Rasengan and the desire to kill.

A pause of surprise, of horror and of anger.

Of all the things that had built up inside me, because nothing I did could amount to his 'brilliance'.

And this moment was all it took. Sensei was between us, letting our hands fly away before the lost time could be recovered.

Leaving me to wonder what could have happened, if I had let my hand slide through her, splitting her in half; when regret would have followed me afterwards until I lost all sanity and her blood would have stained itself on my heart.

A reminder, that Sakura wasn't meant to get in the way. Or people like her, for that matter. People who shouldn't come between twisted souls like ours.

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**A/N;** Soo... what do you think? This chapter was supposed to be longer but upon special request, I'm cutting this chapter short. You'll find out what I mean in the next chapter. For now, I apologise; I guess I _could_ have made this chapter a bit longer. But it would have taken time and I wouldn't have been able to provide you guys with such a prompt update. :P

Furthermore, I'm not completely happy with this chapter; Naruto is wayyy too OOC. But I just couldn't do it any other way.

Reviews are _love._ :3


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